


Mothers Day Card

by GarbageFanfics



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Closure, Happy Ending, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Mothers Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 20:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18818311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarbageFanfics/pseuds/GarbageFanfics
Summary: Catra writes Susan Weaver a Mothers' day card.





	Mothers Day Card

It was bad enough that the house was always cold and there was never enough hot water to finish a shower.  It was bad enough to need to get up earlier than the other kids to catch a school bus because the other Foster kids needed a ride to school because they had instruments and your foster mother didn’t want to lose her deposit on those damn things so she brought them to school herself. 

 

It was bad enough Adora was adopted last year and she only sees her during gym and art class.

 

It was bad enough she was seventeen and still not adopted. 

 

It was only a few more months until graduation and after that.  You will be off to the advanced summer college prep program. 

 

Catra will live and work on campus.  She will finally be away from this place.

 

She will be close to Scorpia and Adora, but far away from Susan Weaver and her constant verbal and physical abuse. 

 

She got up and walked to the bus stop in the rain. 

 

No umbrella either, because they all belonged to Susan and she lost one once when she was twelve, so she can’t use them anymore.

 

It was Mother’s Day weekend after today and Catra would give Susan the gift of not being around typically.  But she was grounded for not getting home in time Wednesday night because she missed the bus after soccer practice. 

 

Her only positive outlet today was seeing Adora for fifty minutes in art class today.

 

On the bus ride to school, she cursed her miserable life and wished she could be anywhere else but here.  But no matter what it was still the same every day.

 

She would go home to a house that no one wanted her and leave a house where no one ever cared for her. 

 

 

During art class, Adora was making her mother a card.  Adora was adopted by Glimmer’s mother and she felt loved and welcomed by that family.

 

It seemed childish but today in art was freestyle day and some students were working on Mother’s Day gifts. 

 

The teacher knew Catra’s situation all to well and asked her if she wanted to work on other projects and to not worry about it, because she will still get full credit for the day.

 

Catra just doodled and heard Adora go on and on about where she will be in the summer.

 

“They have this thing called a timeshare in California and we will get to go the beach every day”

 

Catra just hummed and nodded.

 

She was going to miss Adora this summer.

 

It will be the third summer without her.

 

“Hey, I’ll be joining you on campus in the fall” Adora attempted to be assuring.

 

Catra nodded and smiled at her. “Yeah, that still good”

 

Adora placed her hand Catra’s.

 

What made the tan brunette blush; like always.

“Hey, It's only a little longer with her”

 

She was referring to Susan. 

 

She was right.  In June.  Susan won't matter to her anymore but for now. 

 

With such good news.  Why did it bother her so much? 

 

“I wait to move out of that house” Catra blurted out.  Adora looked at her with a concerned look.  Now that she couldn’t walk that statement back, Catra just continued.

 

“All my stuff fits in four trash bags.  The only things I own are clothes, art stuff, laptop, and cellphone.  I bought all those things.  She can’t take them away from me.  I leave literally a week after graduation.  I just got to survive until then”

 

Adora paused before she commented.  

 

“Catra? Is it getting worse?”

 

Catra looked away and answered “It’s always getting worse.  He told me last night to find dinner plans for myself tonight because she won’t leave me anything when I get off from art club”

 

Adora frowned and offered “Want to come to my house after?”

 

“Could I?”

 

“Yes, of course”

 

Catra then questioned what Adora was doing.  “What’s that?”

 

Adora let out a nervous laugh “Oh, I wanted to make Angella a Mother’s Day card.  I know it sounds childish, but she really likes this kind of stuff”

 

Catra drew her eyes back to her sketch pad and thought.

 

_I never gave Susan anything for Mother’s Day._

_I cried about not having a mom when I was right in front of her and she told me to knock it off.  I was only eight-years-old!_

_I know very few things about her.  I know she is a failed welder.  She eased up her face in a car accident.  She hates running a foster home because it was her mother’s foster home before she was forced to take it over.  Her dream is to move somewhere close to the beach and she loves margaritas._

 

In the hat of her taught she didn’t realize she was asking a card for the woman she hated.  Or at least she thought. 

 

Adora didn’t pay attention to what she was doing all she saw was it looked like Catra was trying her best to not cry in class right now.

 

 

After school; Catra went to hang out with Adora.  Angella felt bad for Catra and wished she could do more for Adora’s childhood best friend.  She knew she couldn’t overstep her bounds with Susan.  The last time she did she caused Catra to get a black eye “On accident” mind you.

 

Catra received a text from Susan while she was eating with them.

**SusanW: I know you got paid from your job yesterday.  Bu BBQ chips for me before you come home.  Name Brand! No store brands! And, where are you?**

 

Catra replied with **“I’ll get you named brand chips.  I’m at Adora’s house”**

 

Susan didn’t ask for anything else after that. Except for Catra to be home by eight.

 

Catra did what she was told.  She asked for Angella to stop by a convenience store before dropping her off.  In Catra’s hand when she went home was her backpack, chips, and what she was working on in art class.

 

A Mother’s Day card for Susan Weaver.

 

Catra was home at 7:40 pm.  A little too close to curfew, but she knew she was on time. She left the chips and card next to Susan desktop in her office.  She didn’t bother her in her room.  She knew Susan knew she was home.  She always peaked out the window to see what was going on. 

 

Susan didn’t like Angella or Glimmer.  She said they took Adora away from them and made Adora into a snob. She used to remind Catra how Adora left the second she could and never turned back.  Implying to Catra that Adora never cared for her.

 

Catra was foolish enough to believe that for years.  It wasn’t until she reconnected with Adora, was when she found out that Susan had stopped Adora from contacting her and making it out that she didn’t care for her.

 

Susan went into her office to see the chips waiting for her with a note.

 

She grew annoyed as she looked at the pink envelope. 

 

It wasn’t a bill and it wasn’t a letter from school.  She opened it up to see it was a beach scene.  A shoreline with two Adirondack chairs in the sand.  She thought it looked good.  It was done in colored pencil so she could tell it was hand drawn.  She opened the card to see writing in it. 

 

Catra’s handwriting.

 

_I know you never wanted this responsibility of taking care of kids.  I know you never wanted me.  I was never adopted like you hoped and, in a few months, I will go for good.  You are the only mother I will ever know.  Even though you will never want me to see you like that.  I will always want your approval.  I won’t be stupid and ask for your love though._

_Happy Mothers’ Day, Susan Weaver_

_From Katerina “Catra” Hernandez_

Susan was in shock to read this.  Catra knew her better then she thought.  Susan didn’t want to be a foster mother.  She didn’t like her foster kids all that much.  She only cared for Adora because Adora was pretty and was a sports prodigy.  Catra was second best and always getting into trouble. 

 

She looked at the drawing again and remarked on how well it was done.  She knew Catra well too.  Catra was a talented artist.  She was relived Catra was going into a business major instead of just art.  She always wanted Catra that her art would get her nowhere.  But to see her drawing up close she saw the talent in her.   

 

_In only a few months Catra, Lonnie, and the boys will be gone.  She thought to herself._

_No more checks from the State.  But at that point, I won’t need them.  The house will be paid off._

_I can retire._

_I can move._

 

She kept staring and re-reading Catra’s words.

 

She remembered raising her from the age of three to what she was now.  The once overly sensitive cry baby turned into schoolyard fight starter, shoplifter, juvenile delinquent, then artist and honor roll student.  Bothered her.  She never wanted to be blamed for how bad a teen Catra started off to be, but she couldn’t take credit for how good of a young adult she was shaping into. 

 

Now with this card and her chips in hand, she was at a loss for words with Catra. 

_Did she write this for sympathy?_

_Did she do something wrong?_

_Was this a jab at not being a mother?_

_No, this is the overly sensitive Catra.  This is sad, sincere.  This is how she really feels; she wouldn’t have mentioned wanting approval if this was an attack on me for not being nicer to her_. 

 

She walked over to Catra’s room.  It was now past ten o’clock.  She saw Catra was in her bed with the lights off. 

 

“Catra?” she called to her.  In a calm voice.  Almost hushed as if she respected the fact that Catra was trying to sleep. 

 

“Hmm?”  Catra turned to her. 

 

Susan looked at the child. Her longest remaining foster child.  She didn’t have anything else to say to her.  She wasn’t going to say thank you for the card, she wasn’t going to lie and tell her she loved her.  All she could say was.

 

“Your off punishment.  You can go out this weekend if you want.  Just remember to vacuum the living room before Monday.  Okay?”

 

Catra sat up a little; shocked of course. 

 

All the teen could do was meekly reply with “I will.  Thank you, Susan”

 

Susan turned and left the room. 

 

“Goodnight, Catra”

 

 

 

After that, it was awkward between the two.  Susan stopped yelling at Catra bout every little thing.  Instead of being asked, Catra just did things around the house.  It went noticed by everyone in the house that the two never yelled at each other anymore.

 

Adora saw all the old bruises and scratches on Catra’s arms heal and completely disappeared over time.

 

 

By the time June rolled around Catra was packing up and getting ready to move out.  Scorpia’s family had boughten Catra a luggage set so she wouldn’t move into her dorm with trash bags, Adora asked it Angella could buy something for Catra too, since, for obvious reasons, Catra wasn’t going to have any help.  Entrapta’s parents agreed for Catra to use their home address for her to receive mail there. All knowing Entrapta would read her mail.  Good thing she had nothing to hide.

 

The graduation date for high school came up fast.

 

Catra walked the stage with honors and all her friends cheered for her.

 

It wasn’t until after graduation when she was taking pictures with Adora and company is when she saw Susan was there. 

 

First Susan was just talking to the art teacher and then to Lonnie and Kyle.

 

Lonnie was off to join the National Guard

 

Kyle and Rogelio were going to move into an apartment that their boss at the construction site would rent to them real cheap.

 

Susan then turned to see Angella giving her a scowl.  She hated that woman with a burning passion.  Susan Weaver was a monster in her eyes for how she treated children.

 

Susan; head held high asked for Angella to take a picture of her and Catra alone.

 

Begrudgingly she complied.  Catra looked uneasy but relaxed and took a few photos with her and Susan. 

 

They never took pictures together. 

 

This will be the only one of them together.  It was practically a historic moment. 

 

 

Susan then asked to speak with her in private away from everyone else.

 

As much as this worried Angella and Adora.  They didn’t stop her.

 

Catra was just as worried.

_Was she going to make e leave tonight?_

_Was she going to insult me?_

_Get mad at my address change?_

_Get mad about me leaving? No, she must be happy I’m going.  Right?_

 

 

 

“You leave next Tuesday?”  The older woman questioned.

 

“I do, Do I need to leave sooner, I already cleaned up my side of the room and I can stay with Scorpia if you want me to”

 

Susan shook her head “No, don’t run off and do that.  As much as you planned your escape route, I can promise you, you don’t need to run off tonight or before the week is over”

 

Catra then nervously played with her graduation gown. Susan felt her discomfort and continued to talk.

 

She placed her hand on Catra’s shoulder and asked.

 

“Are you ever going to visit?”

 

Catra looked at her; slightly shocked that she asked that. 

 

She teen stuttered out “The campus is almost three hours away.  I can try—but it will be awhile.  I have to work on campus for my scholarship”

 

_Was that a good enough answer?_

 

 Susan ten turned to face her placing both hands on shoulders; forcing Catra to make direct eye contact with her.

 

“I can see you.  Can I be on your emergency contact list?  In case anything happens to you?” 

 

Catra felt her face heat up in discomfort.  _Why would she want that?_

“If you want to me to” Catra replied. 

 

Catra looked around nervously to see some of the teachers and other students were watching them from a distance.  They could see Susan had her hands on Catra’s shoulders.  At any point, she could choke her or start slapping and kicking her as she used to when she was angry at her.

 

Susan then sighed “They all think I’m a monster.  I can tell by the looks I’ve gotten all day.  No doubt Adora and Angella had a hand in that.  But, despite not being the most doting and coddling foster parent, I was indeed, the only mother you have ever had.  I’m the only mother figure you will ever know.  I raised you into the adult you are now and now you are going, not to jail or to be homeless, but to start your life, far, far away from me…..”

 

Catra answered confusedly “Isn’t that what you want?  For me to leave? You always hated me.  Why does it sound like your acting sad?”

 

Catra placed her hands-on Susan forearms “Don’t manipulate me” Catra said sternly “I haven’t done anything wrong.  I’m leaving for tonight; all my bags are gone I—”

 

“I know your stuff is gone.  I know you left your key in the mailbox.  I know you’re not coming back”

 

Catra then sputtered out “Then why? Why are you here?  What did you want to say to me? Glad I’m gone? Hope I fail? What?”

 

The Older woman’s face turned serious and she pulled Catra into a hug.

 

Catra didn’t resist; Although she was terrified.  She couldn’t find the strength to hug back though.

 

 

In the distance, Adora watched with Angella and Glimmer.

 

“They are pulling away” Angella commented.

 

Glimmer than spoke “Yeah, but it looks like Catra is crying”

 

Adora then snapped “what?”  the blonde started to rush to her friend.

 

Catra walked over to Adora and put her arms out for an embrace.

 

Adora rushed into her arms and asked

 

“What did she say to you?  You never have to see her again, I promise! You can come to my house every holiday and school break”

 

Catra nodded and had tears flowing down her face.

 

Adora then asked again “What did she say to make you so sad? This is your day! She shouldn’t have upset you”

 

 

Catra; with a shaking voice answered Adora.

 

 

“She—she told me she loves me…….”

 


End file.
